Hello Hambers, So I am torn between the following options for a mild custom 1940 Ford coupe - two inch Sam Foose design chop and otherwise fairly traditional except for a shaved nose and trunk. I love wide whites and also love chrome 'OE' style wheels (using a spider cap for the center). However, after looking a hundreds of photos, I'm beginning to wonder if wide whites look better on powder coated wheels that use beauty rings, spider rings and spider caps - the contrasting circles of the chrome rings against the colored wheels seem to be a nice contrast to the wide whites against the black tire. This is compared to wide whites next to solid chrome wheels... Do basic black walls look better with chrome wheels? I'm debating keeping the powder coated wheels and getting wide white walls (currently have black walls that need replacing) or getting new chrome wheels... But then to get white walls or standard black tires?? What's the consensus of the group?
You will get all kinds of opinions,some you haven't ask for. As for me I have had both combinations although I still prefer painted or powder coated wheels. HRP
WW & chromes just look right on a '40, especially in the mild custom style IMO. But then again it's a chore to make a '40 NOT look good.
Your car makes the choice easy: exaggerated big 'n' little blackwalls with body-color (or black) '48 Merc wheels, '40 Standard hubcaps and ripple-style trim rings. Pleeeeeze don't gook your car up with trendy gimmics like spider caps and spider cap rings! They were considered cheap and gaudy in the early '60s and are double-cheap and gaudy now IMHO. Nice car, by the way.
Looking at your car it it crying out loud for wws and small center hubcaps. I think I would think of medium wide. Maybe 2 1/2" back and 2" front.
I think every man needs several sets of wheels for his car. With that in mind, what ever choice you make is cool.
On a custom application a nice set of chromies with a 1 inch white wall would put it in the late 50s early 60s custom class. When you have questions like this it is best if you can find old Hot Rods or Car Craft mags and look in those to see what was the deal then. Also it give you good visual representation of what you are looking for.
I lean towards painted rims, poverty caps, wide whitewalls and NO trim rings. This doesn't mean I'm always right though.
American 5 spokes, and proper big and little blackwalls would make that car a HOT ROD. wide white walls are the most over used item in the world of old cars.
The chop on your coupe is absolutely gorgeous. IMHO wide whites with painted wheels and caps and no rings would really pop. It seems to me there are ten black coupes with red wheels anywhere you go, that's why mine are gun metal grey. I don't want to get lost in the crowd. Saying that, you may get ten responses saying red is the only option, your car, maybe the photoshop guys would help make up your mind. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App
When I quit drinking I found out I had plenty of time and money to build cars and clean whitewalls. HRP
The solution is to have more than 1 set of wheels and tires ! That way you have many cars for the price of 1 and you don't grow tired of the same car .
After seeing the pic of your car it needs NO whitewalls but it does need the wheels painted some color other than red with rings and caps. Car looks great!!!
As Luigi says in the movie "CARS" No, no, no! You don't know what you want! Luigi know what you want. Black-wall tires, they blend into the pavement, but these white-wall tires, they say look at me, here I am, love me.
Your car right now has a hot rod attitude. If you put white walls on it and full caps like Dodge spinners or Olds Fiesta flippers, you turn it into more of a "custom" If you go a little further and add skirts, then it's more a "custom" Nothing changes a car's attitude more than wheels and tires. The point about having several sets is a good one! I also agree that red is overused but it is also probably the most Traditional color.
It all depends on the car. My five window I think look great with WW But my roadster looks good with Black walls. Again it all depends on the car and your personal taste. I see your 40 (that is beautiful) with wheels the same color as the car, wide white walls, with small hub caps and trim rings. Can someone photo shop it for this guy?
No wide whitewalls, but enhance the clean classy understated look with chrome rings matching the body trim and powder coat the wheels matching the color of the car and chrome hubcaps with script in the same color. This way the car makes the statement without unrelated red color and other distractions. Otherwise it would look like a dark elegant suit with short pants, white socks and red shoes ... screaming I am very young or very old and need even more attention than I am already getting.
Thanks for all the great ideas! Love it! Anyone that can photoshop for me body-matching wheels with center caps - that would be great. It would also be cool to see the same but with white walls for comparison. You guys thinking of the 40 standard "v8" caps or the 40 deluxe "ford deluxe" caps? And with the script done in purple? Thanks!
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